Markets where buyers have the highest leverage

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1. Milestone Mortgage acquires Willow Home Loans

Milestone Mortgage has acquired Willow Home Loans, aiming to significantly expand its market presence by integrating Willow's advanced technology with Milestone's robust operations and licensing capabilities.

The combined entity aims to achieve substantial growth, targeting the number one position in the brokerage sector. Milestone, which has around 50 loan officers currently, expects to grow to approximately 200 by year-end. In 2024, the two companies together generated over $600 million in wholesale volume, according to InGenius data.

2. HUD considers crypto experiment with Blockchain

The HUD is exploring the potential use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to track federal grants, according to internal discussions reviewed by ProPublica. The initiative, advocated by HUD official Irving Dennis, is reportedly seen as a possible trial for wider federal use.

The proposal, involving stablecoins pegged to assets like the U.S. dollar, has sparked concern within HUD over volatility risks and regulatory uncertainties, with critics likening it to "introducing another unregulated security" into housing markets.

Some HUD staff expressed skepticism, suggesting the technology's implementation is unnecessary, complicated, and potentially dangerous.

HUD spokesperson Kasey Lovett denied current plans for blockchain or cryptocurrency implementation, stating discussions were educational. EY executive Robert Judson confirmed involvement in discussions but declined to comment.

New Maxwell Report: Nearly Half of U.S. Homeowners Worry Rising Taxes and Insurance Premiums Will Cost Them the American Dream

As climate disasters continue to make headlines, rising homeowners insurance premiums are becoming a major source of financial strain, according to a new report by Maxwell.

Key findings show that 50% of homeowners question their ability to afford a home due to rising taxes and homeowners insurance premiums and that nearly 60% will consider selling in the next 5 years if rates continue to rise.

Want to learn how rising homeowners insurance rates are shaping homeowners’ habits—and what to expect from the housing market in the next few years? Click here to get your copy of Maxwell’s Homeowners Insurance Data Report.

3. More Nuggets

📉 LoanDepot shares slip on $67M Q4 2024 net loss. (PYMNTS)

💸 Digital mortgage startup Tomo Mortgage lands $20M in funding. (GeekWire)

📊 Only 44.4% of workers have a positive outlook for their company over the next six months, the lowest since 2016. (Axios)

🚀 Rocket-Redfin deal ignites race for one-stop shop for home buyers. (WSJ)

🏡 Why housing affordability keeps getting worse. (Axios)

📞 Mortgage recruiters are calling—but LOs aren't picking up. (NMN)

4. Markets where buyers have the highest leverage

Fourty-four of the nation’s 200 largest metropolitan housing markets had more active homes for sale at the end of February 2025 than they did in February 2019, before the pandemic.

According to ResiClub, many of these markets—where homebuyers have the highest negotiating power—are primarily located in the Gulf Coast and Mountain West regions, areas that saw substantial housing booms during the pandemic, leading to steep price increases and strained affordability.

Temple, TX, and Punta Gorda, FL, top the list with active inventory roughly 76% higher than 2019 levels. Other markets significantly above pre-pandemic inventory levels include Lakeland, FL (52.3%), Ocala, FL (47.0%), Colorado Springs, CO (46.4%), and Huntsville, AL (42.2%). Texas cities McAllen, Waco, and San Antonio, alongside Boulder, CO, also ranked among the top markets offering buyers greater leverage.

5. 4 in 5 aspiring homeowners cite down payments and closing costs as a significant obstacle

81% of would-be buyers say that down payment and closing costs are “significant” obstacles toward owning a home, according to a Bankrate report.

For 52%, the hurdle is “very significant” while for 29% it’s “somewhat significant.” This is based on a mid-January survey of 2,703 U.S. adults.

The median down payment among homebuyers nationally was $63,188, up 7.5%, or about $4,000, from a year prior, according to Redfin. The typical homebuyer's down payment was equal to about 16.3% of the purchase price, where the median home-sale price was $428,000.

☀️ You’re all caught up. See you on Friday!

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